Chapter one

Maila Kolbi
Atlanta, Georgia
August 26, 2024 (Monday)

Kolbi Residence
7:45 AM

“Hmm… which outfit, guys? Should I do the bodysuit or the skirt?” I asked, flipping my camera around to show the girls my options.

“Uhhh, the skirt,” Skylar said, leaning into the camera with her flat iron in hand. “It’s hot as hell in Georgia today, no point in suffering more than you have to.”

“Yess, and wear that cute crop top we got from the mall on Saturday!” Kamiya added as she blended her makeup.

“Okay, skirt it is,” I said, smiling as I shut my door and tossed my phone on the bed.

I slipped off my robe and pulled on my light-wash jean skirt, pairing it with the cream-and-red graphic crop top from the mall trip. Grabbing my baby oil gel and EOS lotion, I started greasing my legs and arms. Even though school had been in session for a month, I couldn’t just wear anything. Not when everyone would be looking.

I completed the look with my red-and-white Jordan 3s, white socks, and my favorite jewelry—silver diamond earrings, a promise ring I’d bought myself, and a few handmade bracelets my little sister Keyla made for me. My hair was always out and wild, but today I went with two slick-back heart buns and fluffy edges. It gave the perfect mix of cute and effortless.

“Babygirl, you almost ready?” my dad called from the hallway.

“Yess, Dad! I’m coming!” I shouted, grabbing my bookbag. It was already packed, but I had to stuff my homework back in from last night.

Before leaving, I sprayed myself with my vanilla perfume, checked my reflection one last time, and grabbed my iPad.

“Alright, guys, I’ll text you once I’m settled in class,” I said, looking back at the screen.

Kamiya blew a kiss, and Skylar waved. “Later, babe!”

Hanging up the call, I grabbed my phone and keychain, heading downstairs.

“Morning, Mami.”

“Morning, mija. Did you sleep well? You look beautiful,” my mom said, smiling as she braided Keyla’s hair at the kitchen table.

“Thank you, Mommy. And yeah, I did,” I replied, scanning the pantry for snacks. Breakfast wasn’t really my thing—it always left my stomach upset—so I grabbed a granola bar, yogurt, and a bottle of water.

“Keyla, did you eat my fruit bowl?” I asked, raising an eyebrow as she smirked, popping a strawberry in her mouth.

“Mami, ella comió mi comida otra vez. Esta es la segunda vez,” I said, shooting a look at my mom.

She smiled, shaking her head. “Baby, I’ll buy you more on my way home from work, okay?”

I sighed but smiled. “Fine, whatever.”

At the door, my dad was fidgeting with his tie. He kissed my mom and Keyla goodbye before turning to me. “Ready, babygirl?”

“Yep.” I followed him outside, feeling the morning breeze as I climbed into his truck. While buckling my seatbelt, I noticed him still messing with his tie.

“Dad, you’re hopeless,” I said, leaning over to fix it.

“You always make sure I’m straight, huh?” he said, smiling.

“Of course. Can’t have you walking into court looking a hot mess with my last name attached to you.”

“You mean my last name, babygirl,” he smirked.

“Same thing.” I rolled my eyes but laughed. “But seriously, make sure Mom picks me up on time today. If not, I’m asking—”

“Don’t you dare ask that Liam kid,” my dad interrupted, his tone sharp. “He gets on my damn nerves. And the way he fumbles the ball… embarrassing. He’s a disgrace to my old high school.” He shook his head, clearly irritated.

“He’s the only other person I know with a car,” I said softly, glancing out the window. “But just… make sure you or Mom come, okay?”

The thought of riding in Liam’s car again haunted me, but I wasn’t ready to explain why. Not yet.

Flashback – Six Months Ago

“Liam, I said no,” I repeated, my voice firm but trembling as I slid further against the car door. “I really just wanted a ride. That’s it.”

He rolled his eyes, exhaling loudly as if my words were the most annoying thing he’d ever heard. “Man, you never wanna do what I want. Gas costs, you know! You gotta find some way to pay for it.” His smirk sent a chill down my spine as his hand moved to my thigh.

I pushed his hand away. “No, Liam! You’re too rough. And—” I paused, my throat tightening. “And you keep cheating on me with that girl.”

His smirk vanished, replaced by an irritated scowl. “Man, you wasn’t giving me no play! What the fuck am I supposed to do? Sit around and wait for you? Do you even know who the fuck I am?” His voice grew louder, his anger filling the small car like a storm.

My heart pounded, but I tried to hold my ground. “Liam, you can’t expect me to want to give my body to you when you’re out here messing with other girls!” I snapped, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.

His face twisted into something dark and dangerous. I barely had time to react before his hand shot out, grabbing me by the neck. His grip was tight—too tight. “So you callin’ me dirty, huh? That what you think?” he growled, his voice low and venomous.

“Liam, stop!” I gasped, clawing at his hand, panic setting in.

He leaned closer, his hot breath against my face as he sneered, “Girl, you think you so special? You ain’t shit. Come here.”

His other hand yanked at my skirt, and I froze, terror paralyzing me. “No, Liam, please! I’m sorry—”

But my pleas didn’t matter. They never mattered. He ignored my tears, my shaking hands, my desperate attempts to push him away.

That night, I lost a part of myself I’d never get back.

When it was over, I sat there, staring blankly out the window. My hands shook as I clutched my skirt, trying to pull it back into place, trying to cover myself like it could somehow erase what had just happened. Liam acted like nothing was wrong, driving in silence, his eyes focused on the road, as if he hadn’t just shattered me.

His voice echoed in my mind, cruel and unforgiving:
“You’re nothing.”
“Nobody wants you. Look at you.”
“All you got to offer is looks.”

Those words clung to me, wrapping around my heart like barbed wire.

When I got home that night, I locked myself in my room and stared at my reflection in the mirror. For the first time, I hated the girl looking back at me. I hated her for being weak, for not fighting harder, for letting him touch her.

I traced my wrist, where his hands had held me down. I could still feel his grip, like phantom shackles, binding me to that moment.

That night, I realized something devastating: Nobody would ever see me as just Maila. To everyone else, I was the pretty cheerleader, the girl with the perfect smile and the perfect life. But I wasn’t perfect. I was broken.

And no one could ever know.

Present Time

“Babygirl,” my dad’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. He tapped my shoulder gently, and I looked up, realizing we were parked in front of the school. I gave him a soft smile.

“Thanks, Dad,” I said, leaning over to kiss his cheek before grabbing my bookbag and water bottle.

“Have a good day, mija,” he called as I opened the door.

“You too, Dad!” I waved back before stepping out of the truck.

The familiar hum of school surrounded me as I made my way toward the entrance. A few people greeted me as I walked through the hall, flashing me smiles or waves. I returned the gestures, but it was mostly autopilot. I wasn’t in the mood for small talk. Sliding my headphones over my ears, I let Jhene Aiko’s soothing voice drown out the noise as I headed to my first class: Trigonometry.

Numbers had always been my thing. They just made sense, so I didn’t have to focus too much in this class. Honestly, I preferred it that way. Most of the people in here didn’t know me, and that felt… nice. For once, I could just blend in. Ever since breaking up with Liam, I’d been trying to keep a low profile. Everyone kept whispering that we’d get back together, but I knew better. That would never happen.

Sliding into my desk by the window, I pulled out my laptop and got started on the bell work. The familiar rhythm of solving equations settled me. With my music still playing softly, I let my mind drift.

“Ms. Kolbi,” a voice interrupted my focus. I looked up to see Ms. Jones, my Trigonometry teacher, standing by my desk with a small smile.

“Yes?” I asked, pulling my headphones down.

“I just wanted to let you know that you have the highest score in my class,” she said, adjusting her glasses. “I was wondering if you’d be interested in being a teacher’s aide. It would look excellent on your college applications.”

I tilted my head, curious. “Would it be for your class or someone else’s?”

“Any teacher with an opening,” she explained. “Just think about it. I think you’d really enjoy it.”

I nodded, giving her a polite smile. “Thank you. I’ll definitely consider it.”

When she walked away, I glanced at my grades. All A’s and B’s. I smiled to myself, feeling a little proud. Balancing school, cheer, and working at the nursing home was no joke. It felt good to know my hard work was paying off.

Thinking of the nursing home brought a sense of calm over me. I loved spending time there on weekends. It wasn’t just a job—it was peaceful. Chatting with the residents always reminded me to slow down and appreciate life. My favorite resident, Ms. Nova, was like a second grandmother. At 83, she was sharp, sweet, and the only person I’d ever told about what happened with Liam. She’d listened without judgment, offering nothing but understanding and kindness.

The thought of her made me smile as I finished my assignment. With some time left in class, I opened my phone to edit a TikTok. I wasn’t an influencer, but with 700K followers, I’d definitely built a following. Brands sent me products to review, which was fun, but I mostly just posted cute daily vlogs with my friends and sister. Nothing too serious.

When the bell rang, I packed up my things and headed to my next class before lunch: Health Science.

Walking through the halls, I suddenly spotted Liam out of the corner of my eye. He was leaning against the lockers, laughing with some girl. My stomach twisted. Quickly, I turned and ducked into the nearest staircase. I didn’t want to risk him seeing me.

“You’re so pretty, Maila!” a girl’s voice called as I passed.

“Thank you, pretty girl!” I smiled back. Compliments from other girls always felt so genuine—especially when they came from someone as cute as her.

As I made my way to Health Science, I felt a bit more at ease. This was my favorite class, and Mrs. Kayden was the best teacher. The laboratory-style room had big windows, letting in lots of natural light. I always chose the seat by the window. Not only was the lighting perfect for TikToks, but it was also a little escape.

The room started to fill up, and I noticed the boy who always sat in front of me. As usual, he had his headphones on and didn’t say a word. He was quiet, almost invisible, but there was something about him that intrigued me. Maybe it was how focused he always looked, or maybe it was the fact that he was the only person in the class who seemed as out of place as I felt.

I leaned back in my chair, pulling out my notebook and gel pens. The small hum of conversation filled the room as the rest of the class got settled.

“All right, everyone, come on in and grab a seat,” Mrs. Kayden called out, her voice cheerful as she pushed back the curtains to let more light stream in. “We’re diving into our next unit today, so I hope you’re ready for some hands-on work.”

I sighed, already picturing myself doing the lab alone. Most of the labs required partners, but nobody ever chose me. It wasn’t because they didn’t like me—it was more that I didn’t go out of my way to make friends in this class.

Sometimes, I wished Skylar or Kamiya were here with me. Labs would be so much more fun if I had my best friends by my side. But instead, I was stuck by the window, scribbling notes and hoping the teacher didn’t make us pair up for anything too awkward.

“Today, we’ll be discussing human anatomy, focusing on the circulatory system,” Mrs. Kayden announced as she clicked through slides on the projector. “This is one of my favorite units because it’s a great mix of theory and hands-on learning.”

I started taking notes, the smooth glide of my gel pen marking each word neatly across the page. Ms. Kayden was going over the circulatory system, her voice steady as she clicked through her slides. I barely had to pay attention because I was already familiar with the material, so my mind drifted as I jotted down the key points.

“Hm, I need my highlighter,” I muttered to myself, sliding my bag open to fish for it. But as I reached in, my water bottle slipped off the desk with a soft thud, tumbling to the floor.

Before I could even bend down to pick it up, the boy sitting in front of me turned around. He scooped up the bottle and placed it back on my desk with a fluid motion, barely breaking his focus from whatever he was doing.

“Thank you,” I said quickly, surprised by how fast he had reacted.

“No problem,” he mumbled, barely turning his head toward me. He didn’t make eye contact, but I caught the faintest glimpse of his face as he turned away. I noticed that he wasn’t paying attention to the lesson—he was focused on something else.

I glanced at his notebook. He was sketching something intricate—some type of car part, maybe an engine component or a gear. The lines were sharp, precise, like he had done this a thousand times before. It caught my attention for a second, but I didn’t say anything. He was too absorbed in his music, the faint hum of the beat leaking through his headphones. The rhythm was steady and rhythmic, almost calming.

I shrugged and went back to my own work, tapping out the rhythm in my head as I continued with my notes. Scrolling through TikTok to pass the time, I found myself losing track of the lesson.

“Ouu, I need more lip gloss,” I said under my breath, pulling it from my pocket. The minty scent filled the air as I looked at my reflection on the screen of my phone. I applied it carefully, making sure the shine was just right.

As I swiped my phone’s screen, I noticed a new notification from the group chat.

Lovergirls🫠🤍 iMessage

A smile tugged at my lips when I saw it.

Skylar: yall, my stinky is going to get lunch off-campus, do you guys want anything?

Kamiya: yess, gimme a frappe and fries and nuggets, please

Me: I want a Big Mac with fries, no onions, and tell Keith don’t forget my drink 😐 this time please

Skylar: I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget, lol. I got you!

Kamiya: yess, matter fact, is Micah going with them? He will remember my sauce?

Skylar: Yes, he’s going. He’s taking his car, I think, but I’ll ask Keith.

My brow furrowed at the mention of this Micah. I wasn’t sure who they were talking about.

Me: Who’s Micah?

Kamiya: Girl, he’s Keith and Cameron’s friend. He plays basketball for the school!

I stared at the message, still not connecting the dots. How did I not know this person?

Me: Not ringing any bells… bestie.

Skylar: Crazy, because everyone knows you.

Kamiya: Yea, you didn’t come out a lot to those parties ’cause you was too busy caked up with Liam, but he’s definitely very well-known.

I felt a slight pang at the mention of Liam. I quickly pushed it away, deciding not to dwell on it right now.

I shrugged it off and typed my reply:

Me: Okay, long as he doesn’t forget my drink!

I hit send and leaned back in my chair, the message lingering in my mind. I really didn’t know who Micah was, but everyone seemed to think I should.

As I sat there, thinking about it, I realized how much time I had wasted trying to avoid things and people. I had barely socialized with anyone outside of my circle lately.

I decided to let the thought go for now. TikTok was calling me.

“Anyways, TikTok time,” I said softly to myself, fixing my edges as I leaned into the light pouring in through the window. The natural glow made my skin look flawless, and I could already see the perfect lighting for a cute video.

I scrolled through my feed until I found a sound I loved. I tapped on it, letting the beat wash over me as I started recording. The familiar rhythm of singing along felt like the perfect distraction, and for a moment, I could forget everything else going on.

Lunch – 12:00 PM

It was finally lunch time. Me, Skylar, and Kamiya were sitting at the usual table, waiting on the guys to bring the food. The cafeteria was buzzing with energy, but we were more focused on what we were about to eat.

“So, guys, Keith’s birthday is coming up, and I honestly have no idea what to get him,” Skylar said with a dramatic sigh, playing with her phone. “I mean, we all know the best gift he ever got was me.” She flashed a smug grin.

Me and Kamiya exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

“Girl, you are ridiculous,” I said, taking a sip of my water. “But seriously, what does he like? Maybe you could make him a basket, or get him something he actually needs or could use?”

Skylar shrugged thoughtfully, tapping her fingers against the table. “Right, but I was thinking about getting him a controller with our pictures on it. I saw this girl do it on TikTok, and it looked cute.”

I smiled at her idea. Skylar and Keith had been dating for about six months now, and it was obvious how much she adored him. I was so happy for her—she really deserved someone who treated her well.

Kamiya rolled her eyes dramatically. “Ugh, I want a boyfriend, but these guys ain’t sh*t, man.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Wait, I thought you and Cameron were a thing?”

“We sorta are… but he’s not applying any pressure,” Kamiya replied, looking exasperated.

“Girl, it’s because you’re so mean to the poor boy. He’s probably scared of you,” Skylar said with a laugh.

I nodded in agreement. “No, seriously, just try being nice to him. He’s not going to know how you feel if you keep acting all tough.”

Kamiya groaned but didn’t say anything in response. We all turned our attention to the door as Keith walked in, balancing several bags from McDonald’s. He had that trademark smile on his face as he made his way over to the table.

“Wassup, y’all?” Keith greeted us, setting the bags down with a flourish. “Here’s your food.” He passed out the bags, and Kamiya eagerly opened mine, pulling out my burger and handing it to me.

I smiled, about to take a bite, but Kamiya looked around, searching for the guys. “Where’s Cameron and Micah?”

“Oh, they went to go get haircuts. Cameron’s pops had an opening at his shop, so they just dropped off the food,” Keith explained as he slid my Sprite over to me. “But Micah made sure we didn’t forget your drink.”

I smiled, a little surprised. “Ahh, thank you!”

That was thoughtful. I didn’t know who Micah was, but it seemed like he was a green flag—he had remembered my drink, and there were ketchup packets and napkins in my bag too. It felt like a nice, subtle way of paying attention to the little things.

“So, Keith,” I started, intrigued, “how come I’ve never met this Micah dude? What does he look like?”

Keith leaned back, taking a bite of his fries. “Micah and Cameron are about the same height, but you probably don’t see him that often. He’s always in the library, working out, or doing some stuff with cars. He stays busy.”

I nodded, thinking it over.

“Why?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just curious,” I said, shrugging. “Kamiya brought him up earlier, and I realized I don’t remember seeing him before.”

“Really? Micah’s a beast at basketball. He’s really good. My boy’s going pro, no doubt.” Keith grinned, clearly proud of his friend. “You’ll see him around eventually, I’m sure.”

I took a bite of my burger, still trying to picture this Micah. “Nope, not ringing a bell,” I said, chewing thoughtfully. I glanced down at my phone, quickly scrolling through a few TikToks to distract myself from overthinking.

Kamiya smirked. “I told you, girl. You need to get out more. Maybe you’d actually meet these people you keep hearing about.”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Yeah, yeah.”

As we dug into our lunch, the conversation shifted to other things, but my mind kept drifting back to Micah. What was he like? Keith had spoken about him like he was someone to be noticed. The fact that he was so good at basketball and apparently always busy only made him more intriguing.

But for now, I’d focus on the present. I wasn’t in the mood to obsess over some guy I didn’t even know yet.